The National League club and the County Championship Division One champions hosted an event at Brisbane Road last week aimed at bringing the community together

Action from the Tornado Tape Ball World Cup at Leyton Orient (pic: John Sanders).

Leyton Orient and Essex Cricket joined forces to bring the local community together to enjoy, celebrate and play cricket at Brisbane Road last Wednesday (May 23).

The event was part of the countdown to Waltham Forest being the first London Borough of Culture 2019, England and Wales hosting the Cricket World Cup 2019 and the recently launched South Asian Cricket Action Plan.

The event saw local primary and secondary schools taking part in games before a showcase women’s match and an all age tournament occurred.

Leyton-born Feroze Khushi, also of Wanstead, and Matt Coles, both Essex first-team players, joined in the day’s events in east London.

Local primary school pupils opened the festival with around 40 Year Four boys and girls taking part in a mini tournament, followed by secondary school students, with 40 Year Seven boys and girls participating.

Also 50 visually impaired students from Joseph Clarke School played an adapted version of the game while Diploma in Sport students from Leyton Orient Trust College Study Programme supported the event by being umpires for the day.

The Tornado Tape Ball World Cup took place from the afternoon into the evening with six local adult teams taking part and there was also a showcase women’s match.

Danny Macklin, Leyton Orient chief executive, said: “We were absolutely delighted to host cricket at the home of Leyton Orient and bring it back to Leyton.

“It is great that the charities associated with Leyton Orient and Essex Cricket came together to put on what was a brilliant and memorable occasion for all involved. It brought together the local community to celebrate everything that is great about cricket.”